Cognitive Biases
Distortions in judgment where individuals rely on heuristics and mental shortcuts to process information, evaluate evidence, and make decisions.
anchoring effect - the cognitive bias that occurs when an individual relies too heavily on an initial piece of information (the "anchor") when making decisions or judgments.
availability heuristic - the mental shortcut that relies on the ease of recall—to evaluate likelihood or importance, rather than considering all relevant information objectively.
categorization bias - the cognitive tendency to group people, objects, or ideas into reductive categories, often leading to oversimplification and stereotyping.
confirmation bias - the cognitive bias that leads individuals to favor information that confirms their existing beliefs while disregarding or discounting evidence that contradicts them.
proportionality bias - the cognitive tendency to believe that significant events must have equally significant causes, while minor events have minor causes.
status quo bias - the cognitive tendency to prefer the current state of affairs and resist changes, even when those changes might be beneficial.
Perceptual Biases
Flaws in how individuals interpret, evaluate, or perceive people, events, or information through the subjective lenses of emotions, prior experience, or social context.
attribution bias - the tendency to misinterpret the causes of behaviors or events by overemphasizing either personal traits or external factors.
consistency principle - the psychological need to appear consistent in their beliefs, attitudes, and actions, once they publicly agree to something.
false balance effect - the cognitive bias that occurs when equal weight is given to opposing viewpoints, regardless of their actual validity, evidence, or merit, creating the illusion of balance.
halo effect - the cognitive bias that occurs when the perception of a single positive characteristic of a person extends to broader judgments about them, their ideas, or their abilities.
illusory pattern perception - the cognitive tendency to perceive meaningful patterns or connections in random or unrelated events.
illusory truth effect - the misconception that arises when repeated exposure to a message increases the likelihood that it will be perceived as true.
reverse halo effect - the judgment bias that occurs when the perception of a single negative characteristic unfairly extends to broader judgments of a person, their ideas, or arguments.
Emotional Drivers
Psychological mechanisms rooted in emotions that influence judgment, decision-making, and receptivity to arguments.
affect heuristic - the mental shortcut that occurs when people rely on their immediate emotional response to make judgments or decisions, rather than through logical reasoning or deliberation.
attention redirection - The strategic manipulation of focus to divert attention away from one issue and toward another, often by evoking strong emotional responses.
emotional reasoning - a cognitive distortion in which a person concludes that their emotional reaction to something reflects its objective reality.
negativity bias - the psychological tendency to give greater weight to negative information or criticisms than positive or neutral messages, even when they are of equal intensity.
Social and Group Dynamics
Patterns of behavior driven by social interactions and pressures that shape behavior, decision-making, and group cohesion.
bandwagon effect - the tendency for individuals to adopt certain beliefs, behaviors, or actions because they perceive others are doing the same.
conformity bias - the tendency for individuals to adopt the beliefs, behaviors, or decisions of a group to fit in, even when these conflict with their own beliefs or convictions.
reciprocity bias - the tendency for individuals to feel obligated to give back, when they're given something, even if the something given wasn't asked for or wanted.
social signaling - the process by which individuals display behaviors, choices, or traits to communicate their identity, values, or social status to others.
status play - the use of subtle behaviors or language to signal dominance or control in a social interaction.
tribalism - a psychological mechanism in which people categorize themselves and others into groups, fostering loyalty and favoritism toward their ingroup while stereotyping or discriminating against outgroups.
Psychological Phenomena
Core mental processes that shape how people interpret, retain, and engage with information, influencing perception and behavior in fundamental ways.
backfire effect - a psychological phenomenon where attempts to correct a misconception inadvertently reinforce the original belief instead of dispelling it.
cognitive dissonance - the mental discomfort experienced when we are confronted with evidence that contradicts our beliefs, values, or attitudes, prompting a motivation to reduce the inconsistency.
continued influence effect - a cognitive phenomenon where misinformation persists in people’s minds and continues to influence their beliefs or behaviors, even after they recognize it has been debunked.
mere exposure effect - the psychological phenomenon where repeated exposure to a stimulus increases an individual’s preference for it.
recency effect - the cognitive tendency to better remember or emphasize the most recent information encountered, compared to earlier information.
